The Unit: Dream Catcher
by Suddenly-Blue
Summary: Part 2/2. FBI Agent Dave Batista learns that the man he's in love with is dating his past rival Agent John Cena, who he loathes. Can Dave put that aside as he solves a case of unusual killings with different murderers? SLASH "Fringe/Dollhouse" X-Over
1. Prologue

Prologue

_2 years Ago_

"Almost…finished."

Justin Gabriel sat behind a large metal desk in his newly acquired private office contemplating the project he'd been working on for the past couple of days. He'd been pushing to gain residence into the vacant office for weeks now after his previous colleague left the small engineering firm. The 29 year old South African native was an up and coming Airplane Engineer working on his latest top secret project. He continued to stare at the sketch in front of him and ponder at its effectiveness and usefulness.

He'd been working for Auckland Aerospace Designs for almost 3 years and was quickly gaining ground amongst his fellow colleagues and superiors for his innovative ideas and hard work ethic. He was very proud of his job and good at it too. As a child, airplanes fascinated Justin. He thought they were the greatest thing ever invented. At age 12 he wanted to turn his passion for airplane designs into a career. He quickly took up hobbies involving airplanes and soon that's all he could think about.

Justin was working on a side project sanctioned by his employer. The project entailed Justin to come up with an alternative design for a very important airplane part to make it more fuel efficient. He sat behind his desk and for several hours sketched and re-sketched a rough draft of the part after coming cup with the basic design. After what seemed like forever to him he finally came up with a unique design he believe to be what he was looking for. He carefully went over the design with tired eyes again and again to make sure he didn't miss anything.

"This is it…" He said to himself. He smiled and leaned back in his chair, hands folded behind his head.

"Mr. Hanzeel will be impressed."

Justin turned his head and looked at the clock displayed on his computer monitor.

"SHIT!"

The time was 11:23PM. He had made arrangements for a dinner date at 9PM with a special woman he'd met at his local grocery market. He warned her that he might be late but she didn't seem to mind. He was sure she'd be fuming now.

"Oh god Melina is going to be so fucking pissed!"

Justin quickly reached into his pocket and grabbed his cell phone, which was turned off, and rapidly dialed her number.

The phone ranged and went straight to voice mail. He made 2 more attempts before giving up. The phone would ring once and go to voice mail, something he took as a sign that she was purposely avoiding his calls.

"God I'm such an idiot. I have the perfect chance to woo a girl I like and I blew it."

Justin cut his losses and began to pack up for the night. It was late and he just wanted to go home and get some sleep. He'd been working tirelessly for hours and needed to wind down for a good night's rest. Lately Justin had a mild case of insomnia that was being treated by a sleep specialist. He attributed it to his hectic work schedule. Tonight was just one of those bad days.

He grabbed his leather messenger bag and holstered it on his shoulder, grabbed his coat and headed out the door. As he walked towards the door he stumbled, nearly falling down.

"Ugh I hope I can get home without having to call a cab."

He regained his posture and headed out the door. He walked down the hall towards the elevator when he noticed a shadow ahead.

'Must be the janitor.'

He continued to walk leisurely until he reached the elevator. He pressed the button on the panel and patiently waited for the doors to open. As he waited he began hearing high-pitched sounds coming from the direction of the shadow.

"What the…?"

He set his bag down and headed in the direction of the shadow to see where the sounds were coming from. As he neared the shadow the sounds became more deranged and horrific. He anxiously stepped forward and gasped at what he saw.

"FUCK!"

A bulky, green figure with several heads and a spiked backside appeared in front of him. Justin was frozen in place as the figure began screeching and wailing. His mind was racing at high speed as he stood in horror. Everything in his body was telling him to run but his body wouldn't respond. He stood there wide eyed looking at the monster unable to command his body to move. The monster stood still but continued to screech at Justin.

Justin's eyes began darting back and forth looking for a way out. He noticed a fire axe enclosed in a glass box attached to the wall beside him. At that moment his body unfroze and the monster began to move towards him at a snail's pace. He reacted quickly and smashed the glass door and pulled out the axe.

"DIE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he repeatedly struck the monster. It began to bleed and scream profusely as Justin continued to strike it. He lost track of time and didn't realize his body was shutting down on him. His eyes began to get heavy and his body was rejecting his commands. He started to lose ground and began sinking down to the floor. He stared at the monster and noticed its subtle movements. It ceased its screaming. It was dead.

Justin's vision became blurred, his racing heart slowed dramatically.

"What's going on?" He asked himself as everything was becoming dark. His body was numb and his heart was shooting with pain. Justin gave one final breath before passing out permenately.

The time was around 7:54AM before his lifeless body was found.

…


	2. Recovery

_Just wanna remind everyone that this is part 2/Sequel of "The Unit" series. Make sure you check out the first story too._

Chapter 1 – Recovery

_2 Years later…_

"Ugh we've been out here for like what an hour and a half? Where the hell is this guy?"

"Just be patient Linc. He'll show, eventually."

"Whatever Dave. All I know is I am bored off my ass here and I want to go home. I have things to do you know."

"I'm Sure you do."

Today marked Dave's 3 month anniversary since joining The Unit. He was making remarkable progress in his recovery since his downward spiral over the death of his former FBI partner Roger Carrigan. He'd stopped drinking and was attending regular sessions with an in-house therapist at the dollhouse for grief counseling. He was settling into his newfound position pretty well. Life was becoming bearable for him again, even enjoyable at times. He owed much of that to his partner Lincoln Burrios. Lincoln was there every step of the way during Dave's hard recovery. He convinced him to see an in-house therapist as well as checked up on him daily; after all they did work closely together. Dave appreciated everything that Lincoln had been doing for him. After a while he considered the younger man to be his best friend and inspiration for getting better.

Dave and Lincoln were sitting in Dave's black SUV outside of a ramshackle tavern deep in the Los Angeles metro area. They were waiting for a shady informant to show up. The man's name was Dusty Vincent Monroe. He was a recent parolee who claimed to have information about the death of a stripper in Sacramento. The suspect was a man named Pete Halliwell. The police couldn't find him after he went into hiding in Los Angeles so they employed the FBI to track him. Monroe claims to know the whereabouts of Pete and was willing to give him up for a modest fee.

It was about 6:34PM when they arrived at the bar. Dave was used to working overtime when he was with the Bureau so this didn't bother him much. Besides any excuse to hang out with Lincoln was worth it. Dave didn't know when or why but he knew he was falling for the younger man. He almost saw it as love at first sight, but not quite. Everything about Lincoln intrigued him, the way he laughed, smiled, smelled, his voice, everything. Although Dave knew Lincoln was gay he couldn't make a move. Lincoln was involved in a relationship with someone, someone Dave wasn't particularly fond of.

"So Dave…" Lincoln began.

"Yes Linc?"

"You and John…"

"Ugh not this again." Dave said shaking his head and chuckling. It had been months since Lincoln first learned that Dave and his boyfriend Agent John Cena had some sort of past they both were keeping mum about. The curious psychic was eager to find out what that past was and why they didn't want to talk about it, but to no avail. Neither man was speaking. This was very frustrating for Lincoln. Dave however was glad that John was following suit and not divulging any information about their past, although he was surprised that the slightly younger agent wouldn't take this opportunity to make Dave look bad. They had a very tense relationship. They seemed to remain cordial around Lincoln, although there certainly were heated moments that the younger man didn't seem to notice between the two men.

"Oh c'mon Dave. Tell me. What is this big secret that you two have? Why won't you tell me?"

"Look Linc it's nothing, I swear. John and I just worked together back at the Bureau that's all. There's nothing more."

"I don't believe you. There's more to it than that. I know there is. You two always tense up when you're around each other. I find that to be very odd."

"Believe what you want to buddy."

"I will." Lincoln said defiantly. He crossed his arms and stared out the window.

Dave smiled and focused his attention at the dashboard. He glanced over occasionally at the excited man sitting next to him. He could tell Lincoln was growing restless and impatient. He wasn't sure how many informant meetings Lincoln had been on before but they usually require you wait a good deal of time. He wasn't sure if Lincoln was being anxious over that or Dave's refusal to talk about him and John.

"So were you two partners or something? Like FBI partners, not sex partners."

"No Linc we weren't."

"Did you ever work together on a case?"

"Stop it."

"So that's a yes then? Thank you."

Dave grunted and returned to looking at the dashboard.

'Where the hell is this guy?'

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

They waited another half-hour before a man walked gingerly towards their vehicle from behind. Dave spotted the man in the rear view mirror. He seemed suspicious so Dave slowly reached for his gun and placed his hand on the handle.

"Linc…"

Lincoln quickly turned towards Dave.

"What?"

"I think he's here. Stay in the car."

Dave got out of the SUV and saw the man. The stranger stopped dead in his tracks and started to back away slowly before turning around and running.

"HEY!" Dave yelled as he followed suit.

The man led Dave on a 15 second chase before the larger man caught up to him and speared him, sending him crashing on the ground.

"FBI."

"DAMMIT GET OFF ME! I'M THE INFORMANT!"

Dave stood up and brushed himself off. He offered a hand to the informant, to which he coldly rejected it.

"Why the hell did you run?" Dave asked frustrated. He hated it when people made him give chase.

"I got scared OK." Monroe replied. He stood up and dusted his jacket off before giving Dave an angry look. "You didn't tell me you'd have company."

"He's my partner, there's nothing to worry about. Now let's get down to business. What information do you have to give me?"

"No sir. That's wasn't the deal. The deal was I get a modest 'Informant's fee' before I start talking."

"Talk first then you'll get what's coming to you."

"But—"

"SPEAK!" Dave growled. Monroe quivered and sighed.

"Alright! Pete's been hiding out in this abandon warehouse down by the docks. He's scared shitless about getting caught. He says he didn't kill that whore but-"

"Give me specifics Monroe."

"The abandon warehouse near pier 32, just past the fish market. He's packing heat so watch out."

"OK thanks." Dave began to walk away when Monroe stopped him.

"HEY! Where's my money?"

"When we capture him, then you'll get your money. I'll keep in touch."

Dave continued to walk back to his vehicle. He saw that Lincoln was still waiting for him inside. He opened the driver side door and stepped back in.

"Well?"

"Abandon warehouse by the docks. Next to pier 32, past the fish market."

"Alright."

Lincoln grabbed his phone and texted the field agents the location of Pete Halliwell. After sending the text message, he put his phone back into his pocket.

"Now we play the waiting game." Dave said sarcastically.

"Oh no we don't. Now we go home. You can do whatever you want." Lincoln replied.

"How about we just go back to the Dollhouse and write up our reports then call it a day?"

"Fine. Hope it doesn't take long. I got plans."

"What kind of plans?" Dave asked intrigued.

"John and I are having dinner tonight at his place. He's cooking pasta."

"Oh…" Dave had hoped that he and Lincoln could spend the evening together but it looks like those plans will have to be postponed. Dave cranked the vehicle and both men headed back to base central.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

As they neared the Kelencine building, Dave slowed down. They reached the parking garage security checkpoint. Dave reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his standard issue security clearance card. He swiped it on the panel, which gained him entry into the garage. He found his usual parking spot under the flickering florescence light near the north wall and turned off the engine. Both men stepped out and walked over to the elevator. Dave placed his palm on the biometric scanner and waited.

_IDENTITY CONFIRMED: DAVID MICHAEL BATISTA_

The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Lincoln was busy texting someone while Dave thought about the task at hand. He didn't particularly like writing reports but it was a necessary component of the job. He'd rather get it done today as the case was still fresh on his mind.

They rode the elevator down about 5 floors before reaching their destination.

"Here we are, the Dollhouse."

The Dollhouse was a code name for the base of operations for The Unit, a secret division of the FBI charged with solving crimes of a paranormal and unusual nature. Dave was 3 months into his tenure at The Unit and was on a sort of 'probation period'. He and Lincoln were given basic cases, cast offs from the actual FBI, the typical cases until Dave could prove himself to be a quality agent. He didn't know when this period would end but didn't mind. Dave wasn't entirely sure he would be able to handle cases outside of the norm. Things like psychics, mutated monsters and other unexplainable phenomenon. He was still wrapping his head around the incident 3 months ago involving the Mayor of Los Angeles Mark Hanson and his ability to remote view.

They stepped out of the elevator and headed towards Dave's office. Lincoln followed closely behind Dave, who he occasionally bumped into as they walked, his attention focused primarily on his Blackberry.

As they reached Dave's office, he held the door open for Lincoln, a bold gentlemen's move. Lincoln walked in without acknowledging the gesture. Dave wondered who he was texting, John probably.

"Alright. Let's do this and then we can leave." Dave said exhaustedly.

"Sure."

Dave's office was small and petite, a huge contrast from his previous office at the Bureau. He didn't mind though. It suited him perfectly.

Dave booted up his computer and login to his secure account. He launched the word processing application and began typing away. Lincoln finally put his phone away moments later and reached in his bag to pull out his laptop. He too login to his account and started to type up his report.

"So who were you texting?" Dave asked casually. He kept his focus on this computer screen.

"Just John." Lincoln answered.

"I see."

"What's that suppose to mean Davey?" Lincoln asked playfully.

"Nothing. Just saying."

"OK…"

They spent 10 minutes on their computers when Dave's cell ranged.

"Agent Batista….great news. Thanks."

"They find Pete?"

"Yeah. Turns out Monroe was right."

"That's good. Maybe now we can actually work on cases we were meant to and not scraps from the Origs."

"The 'Origs'?" Dave asked confused.

"The original FBI. That's what we call them around here. Origs."

"How clever. Well I'm finished. How bout you?"

"I've been finished buddy. Ready to go."

Dave nodded.

"Well Dave I'm going home now. Gotta get ready for my date with John."

"Have fun." Dave said unenthusiastically.

"You have a therapy session tomorrow morning right?"

"Yeah. 8:00 AM sharp."

"OK. I'll just drive myself to work then. We'll carpool the rest of the week though OK?"

"Yeah that's fine."

"Bye Dave." Lincoln smiled, packed up his stuff and left the office.

"Ugh." Dave sighed and leaned back into his chair. He thought about his recent progress with his drinking issues. Even though he was desperately craving a glass of scotch right now he decided against it. He worked hard enough as it is to stay sober for months now. He wasn't going to give that up. He decided to head home and watch some classic movies on his flatscreen.

"One step at a time buddy." He told himself as he stood up from his chair. He grabbed his things, turned off the lights and headed home. Tomorrow would bring better things for him, he just knew it.

…


	3. Date Night

Chapter 2 – Date Night

"Almost…there. Perfect."

John had spent the better half of the day preparing a special Italian dinner tonight's date with Lincoln. John was a fairly good cook and enjoyed it whenever he had time to do so; however he felt an immense amount of pressure to make this a perfect dinner. He wanted everything to be special tonight for his romantic date.

He picked up a wooden spoon from the utensil holder and tasted the pasta sauce he'd just finished preparing from scratch. He took a taste of the velvety red paste and smiled.

"Excellent. Lincoln will love this."

He placed the spoon down and removed his apron. He placed it on the kitchen counter and went into the living room to finish preparing everything. John lived in a small, one bedroom apartment in West Hollywood. It was a decent place and affordable on his salary. There were a few problems here and there, something the landlord had yet to fix. John didn't really mind as he was away from home most of the time; however these small imperfections seemed to bother him more than usual today. He didn't seem to know why. Lincoln had seen his place before and complemented him on his decorating skills, something John though was just Lincoln being nice to him.

He sighed and began unwrapping the boxes of vanilla scented candles he'd picked up from the flower shop down the street. He placed them lovely around the room and lit them. He inhaled their scent and smirked. Everything was coming together nicely.

After he finished setting up the living room he checked his wrist watch. The time was 7:34PM. Lincoln would surely be here soon. John ran into the kitchen and grabbed some plates and silverware. He took them into the dining area and began setting up the table. After that was finished he went and got the food.

"Everything's ready." He said to himself as he looked in marvel at the table setting he'd just created. He couldn't be more proud of himself. He went into the living room and sat down on the small yellow couch and sighed exhaustedly and waited for Lincoln to arrive. He wiped sweat from his brow and stared at the full length mirror to his right.

"SHIT! I'm not dressed!"

John shot up from the sofa and ran into his bedroom. He was wearing a shredded up white t-shirt and shorts. He began quickly removing his attire and walked over to his bed where he had laid out his outfit for the evening earlier that day; a black and blue dress shirt, black slacks, a leather belt, socks and shoes. John didn't particularly like dressing up, he just prefer wearing his standard t-shirt and jean shorts but he wanted tonight to be out of the ordinary.

After getting dressed he sprayed on some expensive cologne and went to go check his appearance.

"Looking good John. There's no way Lincoln can resist you tonight."

John was hoping that tonight would end with more than just dinner and a possible movie. He was hoping for some intimacy between the two, something that hadn't happened in weeks. He was working on a special case that took up most of his time. Lincoln was also working on his own cases that kept him busy. They always found time to spend together though.

Seconds later a soft knock was heard at the door. John's heart nearly skipped a beat.

"COMING!" He yelled from his bedroom.

'Fuck. Why am I so nervous right now?' He thought to himself. This certainly wasn't the first time he and Lincoln had had dinner together. They'd spent time together plenty of times before and John didn't have any issues then. Being around Lincoln was the most natural thing he'd ever felt. But somehow this was different. Their relationship of 2 years seemed to have changed suddenly. Things between them felt strange for some reason. John couldn't put his finger on it but he certainly wasn't going to let what was happening get any bigger. He loved Lincoln and would do anything to keep their relationship afloat.

He quickly shook himself back to reality and went for the door. He brushed himself off one last time before exhaling and opening the door.

"Hey Lincoln." He said to the man standing before him.

"Hey John." Lincoln replied.

John was taken aback. Lincoln was a very beautiful man, but tonight he looked extra gorgeous. He was wearing a red dress shirt, black slacks and a black tie.

"I hope I'm not too overly dressed." He said smiling.

"Oh no of course not. I mean look at me. If anyone's overdressed it's me." John replied chuckling.

"You look great." Lincoln said.

"You do too. Come inside."

Lincoln entered the apartment and grinned.

"I see you went all out for me huh?" He said as he noticed the candles and rose petals.

"Sure did baby." John beamed and leaned down to kiss Lincoln softly on the lips.

"Mmm." John said as he stood. "Follow me." He grabbed Lincoln's hand and let him to the dining area.

John pulled out a chair and sat Lincoln down. He savored the smell of Lincoln's cologne. He went and then sat down next to him.

"What's on the menu tonight?" Lincoln asked playfully.

"Pasta, made from scratch of course. We also have garlic butter breadsticks with a light sprinkling of cheese and savory meatballs."

"Oh my god that sounds so good. It smells wonderful too."

John smiled and began to serve them both a light helping of the dish

They sat and ate the meal that John prepared. As they ate they began talking about their day.

"So you guys catch that Pete Halliwell guy yet?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah we got em. The coward was hiding out in some abandon warehouse by the docks."

"I see. Well that's another scumbag off the streets. How's the pasta?"

"It's excellent John. You really outdid yourself with it."

"Thanks."

They continued eating, John occasionally stealing glances of the man next to him. He kept thinking how beautiful Lincoln was he could barely contain himself.

"So what about you? I hear there's something about a man who rapidly aged in front of someone and died seconds later apparently just after being born or something?" Lincoln inquired.

"Yeah. It's complicated. Jean and I are trying to locate this scientist who's been doing research with accelerated aging or something. He is apparently involved in some unethical research where he abducts unwilling subjects to experiment on. His work is focused on the per-two-a-terry gland."

"You mean the pituitary glands?" Lincoln smiled.

"Yeah that." John replied embarrassed. He wasn't so good with the science stuff he frequently encountered on his job. His partner/Active Jean Grover was much better at it. She and John have been partners for about 4 years. Lincoln thought they made a perfect team. John thought so too but truth be told he'd rather work with Lincoln. It would give them more time to bond.

"Oh my god that sounds like a cool case. Dave and I are still working Orig castoffs." Lincoln said dissatisfied.

"How is Dave by the way?" John asked uneasily. John didn't particularly like the idea of his boyfriend working closely with someone he had deep-seeded issues with. He and Dave go way back, but not in a good way.

"He's doing great. 3 months sober next week I believe. He's also been visiting Dr. Walsh regularly. "

"The in-house psychologist?"

"Yeah. She's been helping him through this difficult period. He's certainly making progress. I'm very proud of him."

"Great…" John replied coldly.

"Speaking of Dave…" Lincoln began.

"No Linc."

"Oh c'mon John. I didn't even say anything!"

"But you were going to. I know it. I don't want to talk about Dave."

"But you're the one who brought him up!"

"That was a mistake."

"What's the deal with you two? I just don't get it. How can you hate a man who saved my life? If it wasn't for him I'd be dead."

John stayed silent as Lincoln continued to fish for information about the 2 most important men in his life. After moments of awkward silence, he finally gave up.

They finished their dinner and then headed to the living room for some wine by candle light.

"A bottle of 1987 Brandy from Bordeaux. Enjoy." John said as he poured them a glass.

"Thank you John." Lincoln replied as he took a sip of the velvety drink. He allowed it to rest on his tongue for a while, savoring its texture and taste before swallowing.

John sat down next to Lincoln and draped his arm around him. He sighed and allowed Lincoln to rest his head on his broad shoulder.

"I love you John." Lincoln said sleepily.

John's heart always jumped when Lincoln said those words. This time was no different.

"I love you too baby." He replied as he kissed Lincoln's forehead. They sat in each other's embrace for a while, giving one another kisses. After a while John stood up and offered his hand to Lincoln.

"Come with me." He said passionately.

Lincoln beamed and stood up. He let John lead them into his bedroom where more candles were lit and rose petals outlined the floor around the king sized bed. The bed was made neatly, a stark contrast as to what it will be later on.

John led Lincoln to the bed and sat him down on the edge of the mattress. He then began slowly removing his clothes as the younger man gazed up at him.

"I want you." Lincoln said as John stepped out of his pants and boxers, revealing his incredible nude body in all its glory. He was sporting a full blown erection. He started touching himself as he looked at an awed Lincoln.

"Strip." The exposed man said. Lincoln stood up and maneuvered John to sit down and watch as he too removed his clothing, giving John an exciting strip tease.

After Lincoln was fully undressed, he straddled an aroused John and began planting kisses on him. John wrapped his arms around Lincoln and pulled him in closer, causing their erections to rub against each other.

"Oh god." Lincoln moaned as the tugging of his foreskin from John's movements made him even more aroused.

John grabbed Lincoln and held on to him and he stood up. He carried Lincoln to the other side of the bed and placed him down gently. He got on top of him and started kissing his lips softly. The younger man continually moaned and squirmed as John worked his way down towards his neck area, and then his chest where he began playing with Lincoln's harden nubs. He wet them with his slick fingers and began to trace them along the outside.

"John…" Lincoln said breathless under John's sensual touch. It drove him crazy when John was this intimate towards him. He couldn't get enough of it. He grabbed the back of John's head and egged him on.

"You like that Linc?" John asked. Lincoln nodded furiously.

"I love it so much."

John looked up and smiled as he continued downward towards Lincoln's navel and the to his groin area.

"Aw!" Lincoln gasped as John's warm mouth engulfed his leaking member. John slowly took all of Lincoln into his oral cavity and began vigorously bobbing his head.

"Fuck…" Lincoln wined out. He began squirming more violently, thrashing his head from side to side. His pants became more audible as John expertly worked his shaft, occasionally withdrawing and reentering it back inside him. Lincoln could feel himself giving John all the precum he had to offer. He played with his nipples as John continued to work him over.

John got up and lay down next to Lincoln. They began kissing passionately again, groping every body part they could get their hands on. Lincoln rolled on top of John and started to grind his hips, causing John's cock to rub against his hole.

"I wanna fuck you so bad Linc." John said sexually.

"You'll get your chance. Just wait." Lincoln replied seductively. He too began to mimic the actions of John and started kissing his body, going further down with each kiss until he reached John's throbbing cock. He looked up into John's pleading eyes and began stroking him. He kept his eyes locked on to John's, gauging his reaction. John had a combination of pleasure and torment on his face.

"Want me to swallow you?" Lincoln teased. John nodded. Lincoln smirked and ignored the request. He loved to tease the hell out of John. It made him feel like he had absolute control over the begging man.

After a long session of stroking and teasing, Lincoln finally without warning swallowed John in one move. John hissed and arched his back up sharply as Lincoln swallowed him whole all the way down to the base.

"FUCK!" John screamed as Lincoln held his head down for a few seconds. The intense feelings drove John to nearly climax then and there, but he held on.

Lincoln worked John over like he had been earlier. He slurped on the plumped purple head making John whine in ecstasy. He clenched his fist, desperately trying not to cum. Lincoln knew John was getting close and he slowed down his movements. John's orgasm began to die down. Both men then settled into a rhythm that they both enjoyed.

John leaned up and placed his hand under Lincoln's chin, causing the young man to look up at him.

"Want me to fuck you baby?"

"Yeah. I do John. God I do.

He crawled back up towards John and smashed their lips together. After kissing, John rolled Lincoln on his back.

Lincoln lifted his legs and began rubbing his tight entrance, further teasing John to fuck him.

"Fuck me." He demanded. John obliged and lubed his fingers up before thrusting each of them inside Lincoln, one by one. He watched on as Lincoln closed his eyes and whined silently. As he fucked Lincoln with his fingers, scissoring them to loosing the tense hole, he began to suck on his dick again. Lincoln gasped and started to pant. His breath was becoming labored as John simultaneously sucked and fingered him. Soon enough John got so aroused watching Lincoln respond to his touch that he ceased all operations and guided his aching member to his lover's rosebud and entered without warning.

"Fuck…" John said as a warmth unlike anything he'd every experience anywhere else enveloped him. His body movements became involuntary as he started fucking Lincoln. He closed his eyes and scrunched his facial muscles as he thrust deeper inside Lincoln.

"Oh god. That feels incredible John."

"Yeah? You like me fucking you? Huh?"

"Yes! I love it."

John leaned down and kissed Lincoln roughly. The bed shook violently as john increased his rhythm, fucking Lincoln harder and deeper. Soon enough his entire cock filled the hot cavity with ease. It glided smoothly in and out. John was amazed at how inconceivable this feeling was. He didn't want it to end.

As he felt himself get closer to the edge, he stopped abruptly and slid out.

"On your knees." John commanded. Lincoln sat up and rolled over, getting on all fours. John quickly reentered him and thrust away. Lincoln started crying out, loving the feeling of John being demanding and taking charge. John lay on top of Lincoln's back, his rear end protruding high into the air. This position felt even better. He continued to fuck the howling man and planted kisses on his neck.

"You like that?" John whispered seductively into Lincoln's ear. He quivered at the question and replied with an earth shattering moan. John grinned, loving how much he was pleasing his lover. Right now in this moment that's all he lived for.

After a good few minutes of love making, John and Lincoln began trying different positions, each one bringing more pleasure than the last. Both men knew that they were close and no amount of pausing was going to delay that. They finally switched back to missionary and prepared themselves for release.

"I want you to cum inside me John." Lincoln begged and he began to stroke his own neglected member. That sent John over the edge and he grabbed the dampen sheets with his fist as he flood of ecstasy overcame him. He filled Lincoln with potent semen. He roared out, filling the room with cries of pure heaven. Lincoln quickly followed suit, drenching them both. After calming down, John lazily lay his body down atop of Lincoln's. Their breathing was still labored as they fought to regain control of themselves.

John stabilized himself and began licking and sucking on Lincoln's earlobe. Lincoln began to shutter and shake.

They cleaned themselves up and changed the bed sheets. After that they pulled back the covers and lay down on the soft mattress.

"I love you." John said sleepily.

"Me too John. I love you too." Lincoln said. He snuggled closer to John and rested his head on his broad chest. John looked down and smiled. He kissed Lincoln's forehead before closing his eyes.

…


	4. Healing

Chapter 3 – Healing

Dave got up promptly at 6:30am after a good night's rest and got ready for work. He had an early therapy session this morning with Dr. Walsh and didn't want to be late. He headed out the door around 7:15am. He saw Mrs. Beckman, his neighbor in the hall and said a quick hello. He headed to the underground parking garage and got into his vehicle. He cranked the car up and drove off. He forgot to eat breakfast so he picked up a light breakfast from McDonald's on his way to the Kelencine building.

Dave still couldn't get the idea of a secret branch of the government working under the building of a global drug manufacturer. Kelencine Industries was the first to open the eyes of the government about the supernatural phenomenon that the world now faces, partly because of the research they were doing to create their own man-made evolution. They were practically in bed together so maybe it did make sense Kelencine would house The Unit under its roof.

Dave quickly ate his breakfast while driving, occasionally losing focus and swerving around the road. Traffic was light and he was able to get to work quickly. He drove into the parking lot, got out of his vehicle and headed downstairs. After the elevator doors opened he rushed out and headed towards Dr. Walsh's office. Her office was a bit out of the way but he didn't mind the long walk. The Dollhouse was a massive place, and he'd only seen level 5. The other levels remained a secret, even to some senior agents and actives.

Even to this day he was still in awe at how beautiful the dollhouse was. There was plant life and fountains everywhere, tiny bridges over charming floor ponds and an incredible aroma lingered in the air; a stark difference from the stuffy, plain federal building he used to work at. This was one of the perks of working underground beneath a multi-billion dollar company's headquarters.

He continued on his way to see Dr. Walsh until a short, geeky looking fella stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Greetings massive one. Today is a run of the mill day for recreational activities is it not? Absolutely middling."

"Hello Topher." Dave replied coldly. He wasn't really fond of Topher Brink, the Dollhouse's main tech guy and self-proclaimed "King of The Dollhouse". The man was an absolute genius; however he was very annoying and difficult to deal with. He used his intellect to put others down and Dave was sure the smaller man said things about him behind his back. Everyone else seemed to like him however, including Lincoln.

"Where are you headed too?" Topher asked as he snacked on a chocolate protein bar. He rubbed the excess chocolate on his brown chinos.

"None of your business." Dave answered grimly. He tried to continue on but Topher blocked his path again.

"I think that John and Lincoln had a date last night. Is that why you two didn't carpool to work today? Maybe he and John will come in together. I'm sure he spent the night at John's apartment…"

"Fuck off Topher. I'm late."

"To see Dr. Walsh?" Topher inquired.

"Who the fuck told you?" Dave asked angrily.

"It was pretty easy to figure out big guy. I mean her office IS in this direction AND you've been coming in early occasionally. Let's not forget the fact that you have an alcohol addictio—"

Dave grabbed Topher and smashed him against the wall, his forearm pinned against Topher's neck.

"Who the hell do you think you—"

"Agent Batista." A soft, female voice said. Dave turned his head and saw Dr. Walsh standing at the end of the hallway. She was a short, petite woman in her 50's with red hair and large, thick glasses. She had a calming, pleasant voice that Dave enjoyed listening too.

He saw the disappointment in her eyes and quickly released Topher from the vice grip. Topher began to cough and grabbed his bruised neck. He gave Dave a death stare before walking off upset, his pride wounded.

Dave walked slowly over to Dr. Walsh, keeping his head down in shame.

"Hello Dr. Walsh." He said quietly.

"Hello Dave. Follow me please."

Dave followed Dr. Walsh to her office just a few feet away. When they reached the door, she held it open for him. Dave walked in and sat down on the leather arm chair near the wooden bookshelf against the wall. Her office was small and quiet. It was very peaceful here. She was a collector of glass figurines. They were lined up across the room on various wall shelves. She sat in a chair across from Dave. She reached behind herself and grabbed a yellow notepad and pen from her desk. She turned her attention back to Dave and smiled.

"How are you today Dave?" She asked politely.

"OK I guess." Dave replied unsurely. She nodded and began writing in her notepad. Dave looked down and began twiddling his thumbs anxiously. Although he benefited from the therapy sessions, he felt nervous at the beginning. He didn't like to be in a powerless position being judged by someone else. It made him feel weak and diminutive.

"Before we start would you like to talk about what transpired a few minutes ago between you and Mr. Brink?"

Dave sighed and was hushed for a few seconds before talking.

"Topher just gets on my nerves. He's such a ... he's just annoying."

"I see. Some people can be extremely difficult to deal with, although we have our choices on how we choose to deal with them and the difficult situations we might face. You lost your calm during your encounter with him."

"Yeah I did. I don't know why."

She nodded and continued to write down notes.

"Have you ever had any encounters with people where you've gotten upset and placed your hands on them before?" She inquired.

Dave nodded shamefully. Dave knew he had mild anger issues. In the past he would verbally explode and even get physical with people he despised. One time he even got physical with his partner Roger Carrigan. This was back when he and Roger first became partners. To this day Dave felt ashamed about the incident, especially since Roger's passing.

Dave and Dr. Walsh continued to talk about Dave's anger issues, Dave telling her about different instances in the past where he lost his temper. Dr. Walsh gave Dave a set of coping skills to use in order to prevent future confrontations. They were about 30 minutes into their session when they began talking about another topic.

"How's the battle with alcohol going?"

"Alright. I'm still sober. I wanted a drink last night but I didn't have one."

"Excellent news! Let's explore this. Tell me about last night. What prompted you to want to have a drink?"

"Well…"

"You can tell me Dave. Remember everything here is in complete confidence. There's no judging or criticizing."

"Lincoln and I were finishing up this case and I was going to ask him if he wanted to hang out or something later on but he had plans… with John."

"Hmm. How do you feel about Mr. Burrios?"

"He's great, an incredible guy. He's funny and smart, talented and fun to be around."

"And Agent Cena?"

Dave took a deep breath and thought to himself for a moment.

"Dave?"

"John's OK I guess."

"Just 'OK'?"

"Yeah."

Dr. Walsh remained silent for a few seconds before responding.

"How do you feel about Lincoln and John's relationship?"

"There's nothing to think about. Lincoln likes John. John likes Lincoln. That's about it."

"You must have some thoughts about their relationship. Do you support it?"

"I don't know." Dave replied uneasily. The truth was Dave didn't approve of their relationship. He knew what kind of person John was and didn't want Lincoln to be with someone like that. Dave didn't know much about John and Lincoln's relationship. They seemed happy but Dave would rather Lincoln be with someone else. Dave wasn't being objective with his opinions about John but didn't see the need to do so.

"You want your partner to be in a happy relationship correct?"

"Of course I do."

"But you don't think John is the right man for him?"

"No I don't." Dave admitted. He started shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Dr. Walsh noticed this.

"Would you like to discuss this further?"

"No not really."

"OK that's fine. What else would you like—"

A soft knock was heard at the door.

"Come in please." Dr. Walsh said.

Lincoln walked in with a slightly guilty look on his face.

"I'm so sorry for interrupting but I have to speak to Dave."

"That's quite alright Mr. Burrios." Dr. Walsh replied. She smiled at Dave.

"I'll see you next time."

"OK. Bye." Dave got up from his seat and headed out the door with Lincoln. He wondered why Lincoln needed to talk to him. Dave also had the unsettling fear that Lincoln may have overhead what he and Dr. Walsh were talking about.

"It's time Dave." Lincoln said with excitement in his voice. He was pacing himself quickly as Dave followed suit.

"Time for what?" Dave asked hesitantly.

"We got a new case, a fresh one."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Dave and Lincoln walked at a fast pace towards the man hub of the Dollhouse.

"Linc slow down. Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see." Lincoln answered. He led Dave towards the main elevator and pressed the button on the panel and waited for the door to open.

"Linc. Tell me what's going on. What kind of case?"

Lincoln turned to Dave and smiled at him brightly.

"Your official review case man. The case that we've been waiting for, well the one I've been waiting for at least."

"That doesn't explain where we are going. I thought we went into the situation room to get our cases assigned to us by Agent Ballard."

"True, however this is your 'Review Case', the case that practically makes or breaks you. For that we have to see the head mistress herself, Adelle DeWitt."

Dave was silent for a moment. He was about to meet Ms. DeWitt, the head poncho at the dollhouse, the leader of The Unit. During his 3 months at The Unit he never even seen her before. He heard stories about her. They didn't paint her in the greatest light however. He'd been on a probation period for 3 months and this was his final test. If he passed this, he will become an official agent.

His thoughts were broken as the elevator door open and both men stepped inside. Lincoln opened the elevator door panel to the right and revealed a biometric scanner on the inside. Dave watched in wonder as he placed his hand on the scanner and waited for it to confirm his identity. After the panel lit green, he entered a 7-digit code. After the code was entered he pressed a button on the panel and the elevator began to ascend upward.

"What the…"

"Her office isn't underground. It's in the actual Kelencine building several floors up."

Dave remained silent as they rode the elevator for what felt like minutes. After the elevator abruptly stopped the door opened to a small, narrow hallway with a large door at the end.

"Here it is." Lincoln said as he stepped out of the elevator. "You coming Dave?"

Dave stepped out timidly and headed towards the door. Lincoln followed. He exhaled and placed his hand on the door knob. He was about to meet the person in charge of The Unit. He was anxious. He twisted the knob and opened the door slowly to reveal a person standing in front of them.

"Hello Agent Batista."

…


	5. Adelle

Chapter 4 – Adelle

Standing before Dave was a tall, slender, brunette female, hands fiercely placed firmly on her hips. She was about 6 feet tall, donning an all Black and Brown wardrobe. She spoke with a deep British accent and oozed authoritarian appeal. Her eyes narrowed at Dave as he studied her closely.

"No time for pleasantries. Come in."

Lincoln swiftly walked in first, Dave lingering in the doorway. After a few seconds of thought he followed. DeWitt quickly went behind her colossal Oakwood desk and sat down in the executive style chair. Her office was huge, heavily decorated with all sorts of trinkets, yet it looked very sterile. To the right were large window panes allowing a good amount of sunlight inside. To the left Dave noticed a set of double doors that he concluded led to the rest of the Kelencine building.

Adelle shuffled some papers together before offering the gentlemen a seat on the leather couch in front of them. She directed her attention to Dave.

"I don't think we had the pleasure. I'm Adelle DeWitt, Director of The Unit and Administrator of the Dollhouse. From this point forward you will be having direct contact with me regarding your case assignments. Now that that is out of the way, let's get to your first task."

She promptly stood up and grabbed what looked like a remote control from her desk and turned around facing the wall behind her. She pressed a button on the remote and a portion of the wall ascended upward, revealing a large panel of monitors. On the screens displayed a picture of a man with jet black hair.

"This is Justin Gabriel. He was 29 years old when he murdered a custodian at a local engineering firm 2 years ago. The killing occurred in the late hours of the night when everyone else was gone. The murder weapon was a fire axe conveniently located on the wall near the crime scene. Camera footage shows Gabriel heading out of the building when he encountered the janitor making his rounds. He struck him repeatedly with the axe with no remorse."

She pressed the remote several times, changing the screens to display the crime scene photos. Dave studied them intently. They were hard to look at. There was blood everywhere.

"Shortly after the attack Gabriel himself died of a massive heart attack. The crime was handled by the local authorities and declared Gabriel's death a natural, yet ironic one."

"And I assume the case gets a bit more weirder…?" Lincoln chimed in.

"Precisely Mr. Burrios. Last night a similar crime matching the details of this case has surfaced."

Dave shifted in his seat as he continued to listen to DeWitt's briefing.

"Wait. What do you mean exactly?" Dave inquired uneasily.

"What I mean Agent Batista is that we have another strange murder on our hands."

She clicked her remote and displayed a photo of a dead girl.

"This is Margie Hunningbern. 34 years old, born in Russia but raised locally in L.A. She worked as an Assistant Chef at a local Italian restaurant. She died of a heart attack, shortly after murdering a co-worker. 2 crimes where the killer shortly dies after murdering their victim is a bit strange to say the least."

DeWitt continued to cycle through various photos throughout her briefing.

"As you can see this is a crime of abnormal circumstances, thus we've been assigned the case. Agent Batista and Mr. Burrios, you are to gather information about the 2 cases and find a link before a 3rd crime occurs. Before you leave—"

The door to the right opened sharply and in stepped a masculine man, tall in stature wearing a standard issued black suit. He appeared young in age, maybe mid to late 20's with short black hair. He had piercing viper-like eyes and showed little emotion on his well chiseled face. As he walked towards the 3 Dave noticed Lincoln was in good spirits about seeing the stranger. Dave studied the stranger with purpose. He could tell by the way he carried himself he was a fellow agent.

"Agent Batista this is Agent Randall Orton, one of our junior field agents. He will be the consulting agent on the case. Any inquiries you have will be made through him. Now If there aren't any questions he will escort you out to the crime scene."

Orton nodded and turned to the 2 men.

"Follow me please." Agent Orton said unemotionally. Lincoln got up and followed the firm agent to the single door that led back to the elevator. Dave got up and followed. He was still trying to rapidly process everything that was going on. He didn't understand why this was an issue for him. This in theory should be just another day at the FBI, but this was far from it. He felt everything was happening so fast. Things clearly worked differently around here and Dave was going to have a difficult time getting used to it.

As the 3 men entered the elevator, Orton pressed a button on the panel and they descended downward.

"The crime scene is pretty gruesome so try to hold your breakfast." Orton said.

"We'll be fine Randy." Lincoln replied contentedly.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

They rode the elevator back to the 5th floor underground. Lincoln excused himself as he headed to Topher's lab to get a 'Treatment', a code word used for a slightly evasive procedure that the actives used to temporarily boost their psionic abilities. Dave recalled his first encounter with Topher after witnessing Lincoln receiving one of these treatments. He thought the nerdy man was torturing Lincoln and quickly stepped into action, threatening a flabbergasted Topher to stop the treatment and let Lincoln go. Dave believes that incident is why Topher has issues with him. The physical encounter wasn't a pleasant one. Topher has since been constantly reminding Dave of that day and making snide comments about it, something that annoyed him very much.

As Lincoln went to get his treatment, Dave and Randy waited in silence near the elevator. Dave leaned over the railing watching the hub of the dollhouse flood with activity. His thought process was broken up by a laughing Randy.

"How's your head?" He asked with cockiness in his voice.

"Excuse me?" Dave asked insulted.

"Nevermind." Randy replied smirking and turning his attention to something else. Dave narrowed his eyes and began thinking about what Randy meant. After a long period of quietness Dave spoke.

"What the hell do you mean 'How's my head?'. What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Just making sure Maryse wasn't too rough on you during our first encounter…" Randy chuckled as Dave became increasingly irate and wide-eyed. He remembered the incident when Maryse, some blonde French-Canadian tasered him twice during his "Orientation." Dave now suspected that Randy must have been involved. She couldn't have carried Dave herself into that interrogation room and then again back into his apartment. His previous comments now made sense and further pissed Dave off. He clearly didn't like this guy.

As Dave was about to rip into Randy Lincoln returned.

"OK let's go." He said in a perky voice. Both men got into the elevator, Dave following closely, still disturbed.

After riding the elevator, they reached the parking garage and got inside one of the company's standard government black SUVs and headed to the crime scene. On the ride there Dave studied Lincoln and Randy's interactions. They seemed to be sociable.

"So how's John Linc?" Randy inquired.

"He's fine. Everything is great. We had a dinner date last night. It was delicious." Lincoln replied.

"I'm sure. He was a nervous wreck last week you know."

"Why?" Lincoln asked worried.

"He wanted your date to be absolutely perfect. He kept asking me what he should cook for you. It was adorable." Randy smirked.

Lincoln chucked and smiled brightly.

Both men sat in the front, Randy driving while Dave sat quiet in the back. Dave was a pretty good judge of character. Although Randy was pretty friendly to Lincoln, he came off as an arrogant jerk and he didn't know what to think of Adelle. She certainly was a mystery.

After a few minutes of driving and a light conversation they reached their destination.

"Here it is. The Olive Vine."

Randy parked the SUV near some police squad cars on the curb and got out. Lincoln and Dave surveyed the outside of the restaurant before following the higher-ranking agent. Randy showed his 'FBI' credentials to the cops on the scene and was permitted inside. A few crime scene techs wearing run of the mill FBI jackets were surveying the scene with cameras and other forensic equipment.

"Has a medical examiner already examine the bodies?" Lincoln asked.

"Yeah. Don't worry, you'll get a chance to examine the body yourself later. Right now I just want you to you know, 'do your thing.'" Dave didn't quite know what Randy was talking about but Lincoln seemed to understand. He asked Randy where the killing occurred and he led them back into the kitchen area.

"Witnesses say that Margie was quietly working at her station when she complained of being tired, something she did often. Apparently she suffered from insomnia. After that she saw her co-worker arrive to work and that's when she snapped."

Randy walked over to a knife block sitting on one of the counters.

"She took a large butcher knife from here and slit the victim's throat." Randy led them to a body covered by a white sheet near one of the stoves. There was a large blood stain soaked in the sheet. Lincoln knelt down near the body and slowly removed the sheet covering the body, revealing the corpse of a 40-something heavyset blond Caucasian male.

"His name was Bob Whitfield, the Head Chef of the restaurant."

Lincoln nodded and studied the body intently. Dave scanned the crime scene. He saw a few agents chatting with employees and some crime scene techs gathering evidence. He placed his hands on his hips and sighed.

"Where's Margie?" Dave asked, unsure of himself and his position.

"Outside." Randy replied.

He took Dave and Lincoln out back into the alley where another body with a white sheet covering it laid on the cold concrete.

"Like DeWitt must have told you, she died of a massive heart attack just moments later after murdering Whitfield."

"How did she end up out here?" Dave inquired.

"She ran outside after killing Whitfield and going on a rant."

"What Did she say during the attack? What did her co-workers say about the crime as they witnessed it?" Lincoln asked, removing the sheet from the body. Dave noticed that Lincoln was hovering his hands over the body slowly, something that he did just earlier to the murder victim.

'What the hell is he doing?' Dave asked himself.

"The witnesses say that she was screaming as soon as Whitfield entered the kitchen. They say she was calling him a monster and that he needed to die."

Randy walked over to the other side of the body and knelt down near Lincoln before continuing.

"Here's another strange thing. After Whitfield was dead she acted as if she did something noble. When her co-workers looked at her in fear and asked why she did it, she said she was saving them from the monster. She went on to describe Whitfield as some green demon with spikes and a devilish wail. One of them said that Margie claimed to have seen demons walking around in plain sight weeks before. She must have thought she was killing one of them.

"Clearly she wasn't." Lincoln replied unattached. He stopped hovering over the body and stood up.

"I got nothing." Lincoln said.

"That's alright. Maybe you'll get a vision during the autopsy."

Dave now understood what Lincoln was doing with his hands. Apparently he was trying to get a psychic vision from the bodies.

"So what now?" Dave asked.

"Um is this your first time or what?" Randy replied coldly and frigidly. He looked at Dave as if he was a moron.

"NO it's not. I'm just trying to follow YOUR procedure. You are the consulting agent aren't you?" Dave answered just as coldly, if not more so. Dave and Randy got into an intense staring contest, to which Lincoln interrupted them without delay.

"How about we take the bodies back to the Dollhouse lab and let me perform an autopsy on Margie to see if she did indeed die of a heart attack like Gabriel. Then we can go over the details of the 1st case."

"Sounds like a plan." Dave grumbled.

"Alright then." Randy added, still keeping his eye on an apprehensive Dave.

Randy led the way back into the restaurant.

"OK everyone wrap it up! You know the drill." Randy shouted to the agents and investigators as he walked back outside to the vehicle. They got into the SUV and drove back to the Dollhouse.

…


	6. Fishing For Clues

Chapter 5 – Fishing for Clues

After Dave, Lincoln and Randy left the gruesome crime scene they headed back to the Dollhouse to begin their investigation. The ride back was a quiet one, Lincoln occasionally would engaged in a quick chat with Randy, only to be ended abruptly as Randy kept his focus intently on the road. Dave sat speechless in the back of the vehicle watching the buildings they passed on the way back. He was attentively thinking about the case just assigned to him. From what he knew about the first crime he just couldn't fathom a connection to this recent one. Sure both incidents were unusual in the sense that both murderers died minutes later after the killing, but nothing made any sense.

After they arrived at the Kelencine building, the vehicle was parked into the underground garage and all three men stepped out and headed towards the elevator.

"I'm going to speak to Boyd about something, you two head over to the Morgue and examine Hunningbern." Randy instructed as he let the biometric scanner capture his palm print. The elevator doors opened and the men stepped inside. Randy pressed 2 buttons on the panel, the usual button that led to the main part of the Dollhouse and another button Dave never noticed before. The elevator began its descent and stopped sooner than Dave had anticipated it would, just a few seconds later. The doors opened and Dave was shocked at what he saw. This wasn't the floor that he and Lincoln usually got off on. This floor was comprised of a long, dark, metal hallway with dimly lit luminescence lights lining the floor. Dave noticed a sliding door at the end with caution signs and colors plastered on it.

Dave scratched his head. "What the hell…?"

Randy stepped out and turned towards the confused agent with a sneer.

"Authorized personnel only buddy." He said winking and headed down the hallway as the elevator doors closed and they continued downward.

"What was that?" Dave asked Lincoln confused.

"Huh? Oh that was one of the more 'restricted' areas of the Dollhouse. I don't even know what's on that floor. I heard rumors though, from Topher of course."

"What kind of rumors?" Dave asked curiously. Lincoln shook his head and leaned on the rail.

"Just you know, that some of the restricted levels of the Dollhouse hold their most deepest, darkest secrets and whatnot. You wanna know a really freaky rumor that Topher told me that I almost believe?"

"Yeah." Dave answered promptly, almost too quickly.

The elevator doors opened and Lincoln swiftly stepped out.

"You'll have to wait." He said smirking. He walked to the staircase and headed downward, Dave quickly went after him. They walked into Lincoln's office to begin their preliminary reports about the case they were just assigned. Lincoln sat on the small leather couch and worked on his laptop while Dave worked at Lincoln's desk. As Dave was typing up his report, he kept stealing glances at Lincoln, who was focused on his work. He kept thinking about the younger man's date with John yesterday. He wondered what they did that night. He then began to wonder what kind of boyfriend John was to Lincoln and how their relationship was weathering. He quickly shook the thoughts out of his head and continued to work. That wasn't any of his business.

After Dave was finished typing up his report, he decided to kill some time and do some browsing on the internet about Fringe Science while Lincoln still continued to work on his report. The things that he found were fascinating and shocking. This was the field that he seemed to have gotten himself into and was very curious about what was in store for him here at The Unit. He was excited and scared at the same time.

After about 10 minutes Lincoln stood up from the sofa and headed towards the door.

"Let's go to the mortuary."

"And that would be where exactly?" Dave inquired. He wondered it if was on some secret level of the building. He'd been here for 3 months but has yet to take a full tour of the place. All he knew is that there were 5 different levels of the fortress and he'd only seen 2.

"It's at the FBI building across the street." Lincoln answered.

Dave sighed and followed his partner to yet another unknown part of the Dollhouse he'd never seen before. After about a good 3 minute walk they reached a narrow hallway to a door with a hand scanner. Lincoln authenticated his identity with a hand scan and the door opened.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me…" Dave said as he saw what appeared to be a long, dark underground tunnel with rail tracks lining the ground. Sitting at the left of the tracks was what looked like some sort of small transport train.

"Yeah I know." Lincoln acknowledged as he led Dave onto the train. "This is how we 'sneak' our way inside the federal building without having to go through the usual checkpoints and avoid all the 'unauthorized personnel', you know, with us being a secret unit and all. This entire tunnel runs underground to the FBI building. We keep the mortuary there in case any other law enforcement agency needs access to the body(s). We can't house them here and remain a secret division of the FBI you know."

"Yeah I get it." Dave replied. All these secrets and protocols made Dave a bit uneasy. He just wasn't use to this. Being a FBI agent did entail that you keep certain things on the hush, but being an agent for The Unit require everything to be on the hush, something that Dave felt uncomfortable with.

Both men got into the tiny train that seated about 10 people with a little space left over for transporting other things. Lincoln fired up the electronic controls and the vehicle began to zoom down the tracks with high speed.

"Fun isn't it?" Lincoln said smiling.

"Sure…" Dave replied unemotionally.

After a minute or so, the train stopped and both men got out. There was another door at this end of the tunnel. Lincoln led the way up the steps and the door slide open. It was an elevator.

"Hop inside." Lincoln instructed. Dave got into the lift and Lincoln quickly followed. They rode the elevator upwards several floors before the doors opened to an empty, bright hallway. Lincoln got out and walked down the hall to a set of double doors. Dave walked slowly after Lincoln, noticing similarities in the building's look to the FBI building he worked in across town.

"So how does this work? I mean what if I see any former colleagues? Obviously I don't tell them I work for The Unit right?"

"Just say you work for the FBI, because technically you do. You probably won't run into anyone as we'll remain on this floor, but you never know. Just play it cool."

"I'm confused." Dave said in defeat and passed Lincoln on the way to the doors. He saw the "Mortuary" sign located on the wall. He opened the doors and walked inside. Dave hated to visit Morgues. He hated dead bodies in general but it was part of the job so he toughed it out. A few seconds later Lincoln casually walked in behind him.

Lincoln began scanning the body chambers, searching for the body of Margie Hunningbern.

"Alright the body should be here by now so…ah here it is!" Lincoln excitedly opened the door and slide the drawer out to reveal a corpse covered with a white sheet. He lifted the sheet and confirmed it was indeed Hunningbern's body.

"Alright let's get started." Lincoln said as he went over to prep for the autopsy. He put on standard white medical latex gloves and another gear to protect his clothes and to not contaminate the body. Dave started to become uncomfortable. He saw bodies before after autopsies and he didn't like the sight. He hadn't seen an autopsy be performed before so this was making him extra uncomfortable.

"It could take a while Dave…" Lincoln advised the older man.

"I'm fine." Dave answered. Lincoln nodded.

"I'm going to need help transporting the body to this table." Lincoln said. Dave went over and helped Lincoln moved the body from the chamber to a medical slab. Dave stared at the cold body as Lincoln got ready to perform the autopsy. Dave was very amazed that Lincoln was a licensed Medical Examiner. He was only 25 years old.

Lincoln was an exceptionally intelligent person and made no attempt to hide it. As a child, Lincoln was regularly labeled as a child prodigy. With the guidance of his equally gifted adopted father Dr. Walter Bishop, he excelled in academics and at the tender age of 14 He graduated high school. At the age 22, he was a licensed M.D.

"This is going to get messy pretty soon. I need to take some fluid samples and then we'll begin the cutting procedure."

"You're gonna cut her open? Wait, why is this required? I mean you guys said she had a heart attack. Isn't there some easier way to you know confirm that?"

"I want to do a thorough examination Dave. These are special circumstances you know." He replied. Dave stepped back and allowed Lincoln to continue. Lincoln extracted blood from the body and other fluids. After that process was done he picked up a cutting saw and began the autopsy.

After watching Lincoln perform the autopsy, he began to get increasingly uncomfortable. He would occasionally look away as he saw blood and bone. Lincoln would occasionally ask if he was OK and wanted to leave but Dave stuck it out. Lincoln tried engaging in conversation with him but he just couldn't focus on anything else but the corpse what was being mutilated in front of him.

"Wanna see her heart Dave?" Lincoln joked.

"What?" Dave replied traumatized.

"Here, her heart. Come take a look at it. It's fascinating."

"Hell no Linc." Dave said frostily.

Lincoln chuckled and continued to work. Dave couldn't get over how casual Lincoln was being at this point. He was slicing open a dead body for god sakes!

An hour went by until Lincoln removed his gloves and sighed.

"Yup. She definitely died of a heart attack. The toxicology tests will also provide us with some more information but all in all, a heart attack. She also looked like she was sleep deprived. Signs of exhaustion are everywhere."

"So what about the first killer Justin Gabriel? Where are the results from his autopsy?"

"I send an e-mail to Archives. They should be sending the report to us soon. In the meantime I'm going to go take these samples for testing. You stay here OK?"

"Wait, let me come with you." Dave volunteered, not wanting to be in a room filled with dead remains.

"You'll be fine. This won't take long." Lincoln smiled reassuring and headed out of the room with the samples from the autopsy. Dave stood there nervously. Hunningbern's body still remain on the medical slab, Lincoln forgetting to cover her with the white sheet. Dave couldn't help but glance at her from time to time. It felt so eerie staring at a dead body. Dave just couldn't shake the feeling. He had to get out of the room.

Dave ignored Lincoln's request and walked outside into the hallway. He looked around the empty corridor and began to reminisce about his days in the FBI. He loved it. Everything about his old job was a blast to him. In a lot of way he missed it very much, but this was his job now and he was committed 100%.

After a relaxing walk up and down the hall for a few minutes Lincoln returned. He was playing with his PDA.

"So…?" Dave asked.

"I put a rush on the toxicology tests. We should get the results later today."

"Really? Back in the FBI the earliest we got our results back was no less than 5 days."

"Well things work faster around here I guess."

"Yeah I'm beginning to see that. So I guess we should go and review the 1st murder and gather facts from that."

"Yeah. Archives sent over the case files to my office. Let's go review them and then re-interview those connected to Justin."

Dave smiled. "Sounds like a plan Linc."

…

…


	7. A Saint's Past

Chapter 6 – A Saint's Past

Dave and Lincoln spend the better half of the day going over the case files from the previous murder. Dave sat on the leather couch next to Lincoln in the younger man's office and sifted through report after report of the gruesome crime that occurred 2 years ago. They read through the M.E.'s report as well as various statements from co-workers, friends and family members of Gabriel's. The case was strange enough to begin with, but as Dave got caught up on the events, things were becoming stranger by the minute. He occasionally looked at Lincoln, who was intently focused on the task at hand, not letting up on his work or engaging in any small talk. He noticed that Lincoln didn't seem bothered by any of the details they came across in the reports.

Dave cleared his throat and spoke.

"Linc?"

"Yeah Dave?" Lincoln put down his stack of files and turned his body towards the larger agent.

"What kind of cases have you previously worked on here? I mean aren't' you bothered about what's going on with this case?"

"Um…"

"Um what?" Dave asked quizzically.

"I'm not allowed to discuss my past cases with anyone who isn't authorized Dave…"

"But I'm an agent here aren't I? Doesn't that mean I'm authorized?"

"No not really. I mean we're partners and all but you're still on probation and everything. Also even if you weren't you still wouldn't be allowed to receive info on the case unless it is related to what we are currently working on."

"The rules here are fucking strict…" Dave sighed.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Lincoln said agreeing. He continued to read a witness statement when Dave interrupted him again.

"What about you then?"

"What about me Dave?"

"How did… someone like you end up working here? I mean what's your backstory?"

Lincoln hesitated for a brief moment.

"If it's OK with you…I'd rather not talk about it." Lincoln said quietly.

"Oh…OK." Dave said taken aback. He was curious as to why Lincoln didn't want to discuss talking about his beginnings in The Unit, but Dave respected his privacy and continued to work.

Dave hated reading witness statements. They were always full of unnecessary information and almost always were conflicting in some way to the other relating witness statements. After a good while of reading, the two men set the files down and contemplated what they had just learned.

"Well?" Dave asked a quiet Lincoln.

"This is just a mess. These statements really don't tell us anything.

Lincoln stood up and spoke. "We should go re-interview the witnesses and review the crime scene."

"Agreed." Dave said.

Both men got up from the couch, grabbed their coats and headed out the office. They headed upstairs to the parking garage and took Dave's SUV out.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"OK um I'm sorry but excuse me? What did you say?"

"I said can we have a moment of your time please?"

"And…you are again?"

"Ugh…the FBI ma'am. We are FBI agents here to ask you questions about Justin Gabriel."

"Hmm…can I see some identification please?"

Dave rubbed his temples as he became increasingly irritated by the petite brunette woman standing before him. Her name was Melina Perez, a short, but pretty built sassy Latina around 5'6" wearing nothing but a tight tank top and low-cut Daisy Dukes. On the night that Justin Gabriel died she had a dinner date setup with him. They weren't in a relationship but Lincoln and Dave found it prudent to interview her anyways as he may have mentioned something of importance to her prior to the incident.

She lived in a fairly rundown apartment complex on the west side of Los Angeles. She just got back from doing her laundry downstairs in the laundry room when the men approached her. She instantly gave Dave attitude and they got off to a rough start. He wasn't having any of it today.

Lincoln stepped in to defuse the situation that was brewing between her and Dave.

"Here's my identification." He chimed in as he grabbed his 'FBI  
Consultant' badge from his back pocket and showed it to a cautious Melina.

"I want to see HIS badge..." She said defiantly, staring directly into Dave's eyes and tilting her head to the side in a cocky fashion. He returned the intense stare as she began smacking on her watermelon flavored bubblegum and arrogantly blowing bubbles. She held on tightly to her laundry basket full of recently dried garments and tapped her feet lightly.

Dave grunted and reluctantly pulled out his badge. He practically shoved it into her face, to which she staggered back, her jaw dropping forward nearly causing her to lose her piece of chewing gum. She stared at it for a few moments before rolling her eyes.

"Looks fake but whatever. What do you want?"

Dave rolled his eyes and Lincoln spoke.

"Justin Gabriel. You two were going to go on a date the night of September 29th two years ago right?"

"Yeah I guess. It's been like 2 years so how can I remember something like that?

"Because he died after viciously murdering someone." Dave said curtly and annoyed. Melina rolled her eyes and focused her attention to Lincoln.

"Yes I remember him. He was really hot."

"Where did you two meet?" Dave asked.

"Excuse me but I'm talking to HIM, not YOU!" Melina replied pointing at Lincoln further annoying an already pissed off Dave.

"Fuck this…" Dave mumbled as he walked a few feet away from the 2.

"Please forgive my partner." He heard Lincoln pleading to her to further defuse the tension that had been built up.

'_She's the one fucking __around! Not me.'_ Dave thought to himself. He kept his back to them as they continued talking, watching the cars on the nearby street go by.

"Well ANYWAYS Justin and I met at this grocery market just around the corner. He was nice and sweet. He asked me out on a date and I said yes. 2 days later I hear he's dead. I waited like 3 hours at home waiting for him to pick me up but he stood me up!"

"Cause he was dead…" Lincoln replied. He now was beginning to see why Dave found this woman annoying. "Did he say or do anything unusual when you spoke to him?"

"Nope. He was normal as they come, a step up from my current boyfriend. He's such a fucking tool. I hate him."

'Can't imagine that you even HAVE a boyfriend.' Dave thought and snickered at his comment.

"Look I already did an interview like two years ago. Why are you guys here now?"

"The case has been reopened." Lincoln answered quickly.

"Oh. Well I guess I should be lucky he didn't murder me. I dodged a bullet for sure."

"Yeah… Well thank you for your time Ms. Perez. If you think of anything else you think might be helpful, please call us." Lincoln said as he handed Melina his card.

"Whatever." She said as she made her way inside her apartment and quickly slammed the door.

Lincoln signed and walked over to Dave who was shaking his head.

"This is going to be a great day…" He said laughing.

"Hush you." Lincoln replied.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Lincoln and Dave continued to interview several key people over the next few days. Each time, they got the same answers that were provided in the statements each person gave 2 years ago, with slight varying differences. Dave had transferred digital copies of the case files to his laptop and taken it home with him. He'd been re-reading everything over and over again, something he usually did with cases back at the Bureau. He wanted to know the case by heart, every aspect of it to see if he could spot something no one else did or could. He checked in with Lincoln every night to see if he had any ideas to which the psychic replied with a disappointing no.

He sat in his apartment on Thursday night alone and reviewed some of the newer witness statements and compared them to the older ones. He massaged his temples in frustration as he placed his laptop on the coffee table and leaned back into his couch.

"God I need a drink." He said half-heartily. Truth be told he really did need a drink. He was of course sober and didn't want to compromise what he'd worked hard for. He got up and headed to the fridge to get a bottle of V8 to calm his nerves. He poured himself a glass and returned to the couch. He took a hefty sip of the drink and placed the glass on the table.

He signed and scanned his apartment with wandering eyes. Dave was used to being and living alone, it was just who he was. He didn't have many friends and hardly kept in contact with family members. He was a loner. He walked alone. There was one person in Dave's life that he loved to be around, and that was Lincoln.

He began to think about Lincoln and wondered what he was doing at the moment. Lincoln and Dave frequently hung out after work at a small local park a few blocks from the Kelencine building, just contemplating about various things, mostly work. Dave frequently talked about his rehab, at Lincoln's request, and Lincoln was there to listen. He really appreciated the friendship that had developed between the 2 men, He treasured it.

Dave pondered the idea of calling Lincoln to ask him if he wanted to come over but quickly remembered that Lincoln mentioned something about going to the movies with John. Lincoln and John had been together for about 2 years now. Dave wasn't sure if that's how long Lincoln had been at The Unit or perhaps if it's John who join at that time but whatever the case they probably were close as 2 lovers could be. Dave observed various interactions with Lincoln and John and they seemed very elated to see one another on a daily basis; the way that they looked at one another, the way they held each other, the way Lincoln smiled when John made a joke or the way John blushed when Lincoln kissed him on the cheek.

Dave was envious of their relationship. He'd always longed for something like that, but never seemed to obtain it. He'd been in relationships before, with both with men and women, but they would fizzle out fast. The longest relationship Dave has been in lasted about 5 months with a man named Heath Slater. He was a perky and immature redhead who only seemed to be with Dave for sex, something that his colleague John knew all too well. Dave knew how Heath was but thought he could change him, he believed that his love would make Heath see the world differently. Dave seemed to think that he and Heath would be together for a long time, but that all changed after the incident between them a few years ago.

Dave was looking for something more than just a quick fuck. He wanted a lasting, meaningful relationship with someone genuine, someone he could call his soul mate. Seeing John and Lincoln together made him jealous, especially since John was partly to blame for the failed relationship between him and Heath. Ever since the two have had major tension for one another, their recent reunion 3 months ago sparking all the dormant anger that Dave had against John.

He shook himself out of deep thought and reached for his laptop when his phone ranged. He picked up the headset and answered.

"Hello?"

"Dave its Lincoln. I think I got something."

"What is it?" Dave asked as he stood up from the couch and walked over to the window.

"Well I was going over a statement from Gabriel's mother. At first I didn't see it but I noticed the investigator who worked on his case interview his mother and in her previous statement she mentioned something about Justin having sleep issues, like really bad insomnia or something. Then I remembered that one of Margie Hunningbern's co-workers said something about her having insomnia also and was being treated by some sleep specialist. Well then I remembered that Hunningbern's autopsy showed signs of exhaustion from chronic lack of deep sleep. Well anyways long story short I found out that both victims have Insomnia."

"And that's helpful how…?" Dave asked.

"Well they both were receiving treatment for their condition AND they were both being treated by the same Dr."

"Sounds like we got ourselves a connection."

…


	8. Sleep Patterns

Chapter 7 – Sleep Patterns

Dave slept quite soundly throughout the night despite the light thunderstorm during the later hours and promptly woke up early in the morning for the new business day. He did his usual routine of taking a quick shower, donning on his pre-chosen outfit for the day and shoving a toasted bagel with a large glass of orange juice down his throat before heading out the door. Dave made a quick stop by the dry cleaners to drop off some suits for much needed cleaning after neglecting them for the past few weeks and headed to the Kelencine building.

When he arrived at the Dollhouse, passing the required security checks and heading underground to the secret fortress, he was greeted by his friends and fellow colleagues Priya Tsetsang and Anthony Ceccoli, Priya's boyfriend and a fellow Active of The Unit.

"Hey Dave!" Anthony said excitedly after spotting Dave quietly exiting the elevator. He walked over beaming and gave the agent a light, friendly hug.

"Hey Tony." Dave replied smiling.

Dave and Anthony got along exceptionally well. They met one night while Dave was working late at the Dollhouse. Anthony and Priya were heading home when she introduced the two. Priya and Anthony have been at the Dollhouse for almost 3 years and were currently in a stable relationship.

Anthony was a high-level empath who frequently sat in during interrogations of suspects or persons of interest. His unique skills were used to detect any unusual or false information given by the suspects based on their varying emotional responses.

Dave and Anthony had quite a few things in common and he was easy to talk to. Sometimes Dave, Lincoln, Priya and Anthony would have dinner at Lincoln's house after work. Dave liked to consider the dinners somewhat of a 'Double Date', even though he and Lincoln weren't in a relationship. John would frequently join the 4, something Dave didn't like quite so much.

Priya, a psychic sketch artist, was another friend that Dave seemed to grow close to in the few months he'd been in The Unit. Every time that they talked, Dave was always reminded about the picture that Priya drew one day showing him and Lincoln in an interesting light based on a vision she had. He kept the sketch in his wallet and looked at it every night. He was absolutely mesmerized by it. The picture was pure in its intent and message. He wasn't sure of what feelings they were sharing in the sketch, but he had his heart focused on the fact that the image showed their true feelings for each other. He hoped that one day he could make that image come true. He wasn't sure of the possibility due to the fact that Lincoln and John's relationship seemed pretty solid but he couldn't deny the fact that Priya had the vision and drew the sketch. He hadn't talked to her about the picture, but he did wonder what she thought about it. He wanted to know if she knew that Dave had feelings for Lincoln. Dave was a private person and kept his feelings to himself, but as the days continue to go by, it's becoming harder and harder for him to keep suppressing his desire for his partner.

Anthony, Priya and Dave engaged in a light chat before he headed towards Lincoln's office.

"Talk to ya later Davey boy."

"Don't call me that Tony baby." Dave said chuckling.

"Ah cute Dave. VERY cute." Tony rolled his eyes and headed to the situation room with Priya to be briefed on a case that they were just assigned.

Dave smiled and walked to Lincoln's office. He was a few yards away when he was stopped by Topher Brink.

"Hello David." Topher said curtly and detached. Dave narrowed his eyes for a moment, but then backed off after remembering what Dr. Walsh talked to him about during his previous session. Even though Topher annoyed the hell out of him, he was genuinely sorry for the incident that happened between them and wanted to make it up.

"Topher I—"

"Stop. I don't need to hear ANYTHING you have to say. I mean why should I? Clearly you are a danger to those around you. You have real anger issues and I think you need to address them. Avoidance clearly isn't the answer in my honest opinion. You'll just become more and more dangerous as time goes by, to put it simply."

Dave swallowed and sighed.

"Topher, listen to me. I—"

"It's not like you haven't lost your temper before right? I mean look at that Thompson case you and Lincoln worked on after you decided to stay at The Unit. You nearly beat the guy while trying to collar him! And don't get me started on Mark Hanson. You were ready to rip his head off after what he almost did to Lincoln. You're a mad man Dave, a freaking psycho."

Dave began to feel himself getting irate at the smaller man spewing toxic rhetoric at him. He didn't like being talked down to like a 2nd class citizen, especially by someone as puny and insignificant as Topher Brink. He calmly took a deep breath and held in his boiling anger.

'Happy thoughts Dave. Just think happy thoughts.' He mumbled to himself. "Listen Topher. I'm…ugh, I'm sorry for what happened between us earlier. I—"

"Excuse? Was that an apology I just heard from you big, bad Agent Batista? You're sorry? You're apologizing for your inappropriate behavior? You son of a-"

"Shove it Topher!" Lincoln snapped as he came out of his office and walked over to the two men standing in the narrow hallway. He pointed his eyes at Topher, to which the eccentric man replied with a less intense stare of his own.

"You know what your problem is Topher? You're an ass. A complete stuck up jerk who likes to intimidate people with his intellect and knowledge. Guess what genius, you're not all that. So pull your head out of your ass and get to work. I believe you have a system to optimize? I'm still having e-mail issues. That's your department isn't it? That's what I thought."

"I am a programmer, not some basic help desk technician!"

"Whatever loser. Bye now."

Lincoln smiled as a defeated and shamed Topher grunted and scurried back to the fortress where he spent most of his time.

Lincoln quickly turned his attention to Dave, who smirked.

"You sure did put his ass in check huh?"

"Topher is like a puppy. You have to show him who's the pack leader once in a while or else he'll try to take your position. Now moving right along…"

Lincoln turned around and walked to his office. Dave quietly followed. Seeing Lincoln verbally man-handle Topher made him smile on the inside. They began to talk about the Gabriel/Hunningbern case and the recent developments they've stumbled upon.

Lincoln spoke. "I found out by digging through some of the files we missed that Dr. Samuel Gupta was actively treating both Justin and Margie for severe chronic Insomnia. They both showed signs of exhaustion and symptoms from insomnia during the autopsy. So I suggest we go and interview this guy and see what he has to say about all this."

"Agreed." Dave replied.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Dave and Lincoln headed out and drove to the Lansberg Sleep Center where Dr. Gupta practiced, just a few miles from the Dollhouse. As they were driving there, Lincoln was on his PDA doing some initial research on the clinic as well as on Dr. Gupta himself.

"Apparently this guy is one of the best in his field of study. He is widely renowned for his work with developing some sort of implant called the "RSD-122" chip. It's implanted into the patient's head near the brain stem to stimulate natural neurotransmitters that help promote sleep. It says that the chip is currently in clinical trials with over 150 patients participating in the trials. Hmm. I wonder…"

"Wonder what?" Dave inquired.

"What if Gabriel and Hunningbern had this chip implanted into their heads? They might have been part of the clinical trial."

"But wouldn't you have found a chip implanted into their head during the autopsy?"

"Well they clearly died of a heart attack. I didn't feel the need to do any further examinations near the brain. I'll text Boyd to have someone check for the implants now."

"OK good. We're almost there."

They drove a few minutes longer until they reached the clinic. It was a huge, upscale independent practice located on the campus of Mercy General Hospital, Los Angeles's 3rd largest hospital. Dave marveled at the beauty of the site as he found a suitable parking space.

Both men got out of the vehicle and walked up to the main entrance. Dave led the way, Lincoln closely following as they entered the building and approached the reception desk where a busy-looking female greeted them.

"Welcome to the Lansberg Sleep Center how can I help you gentlemen?"

"My name is Dave Batista, I'm with the FBI. This is my partner Mr. Burrios. We're here to speak to Dr. Samuel Gupta." Dave said showing the receptionist his 'FBI' credentials.

"OK why don't you 2 have a seat right over there and I will check to see if he is available."

"OK, thanks." Dave replied.

Dave and Lincoln took a seat near the large glass windows in the waiting area. Lincoln sat next to a wooden lamp table full of magazines. He picked up one and began reading. Dave sat next to him and sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.

"Want one?" Lincoln asked handing him a Hunting magazine. Dave shook his head. Lincoln shrugged and continued reading his Cooking magazine.

"I should cook this for John one day." He said pointing to a recipe for Italian Lasagna. Dave just gave him a fake smile and looked down at his feet, trying not to seem to put off by the comment.

"You OK Dave?" Lincoln asked concerned.

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm just—"

Dave was cut off by the receptionist walking over towards them. He quickly turned his attention to her.

"Dr. Gupta is in a meeting with the hospital board right now. He'll be out soon. I will let him know that you need to see him as soon as the meeting is over."

"OK, thank you." Dave replied, thankful for the abrupt interruption. The receptionist walked away and he quickly pulled out his phone, trying to seem too busy to talk with his partner. He didn't like to talk to Lincoln about John or the relationship Lincoln had with him. He wasn't interested in hearing anything about how Lincoln & John were doing or how they were going out on a date or ANYTHING regarding their sex life. Every time Lincoln would try and bring up something to that effect, Dave would try and find an excuse to discontinue the discussion or change the topic instantaneously. He just felt uncomfortable listening to Lincoln talk about how much he loved John when he himself had feelings for the younger man. He often contemplated about telling Lincoln what happened between him and John in the past that is the root of their issues with each other, but he knew that the reason for telling him wouldn't be for Lincoln's own good, but out of revenge and spite. John ruined his relationship with Heath, so Dave would end up doing the same to his relationship with Lincoln. He didn't want to hurt his partner, but he didn't like the idea of he and John being together either. He didn't trust John and feared that he would break Lincoln's heart one day. Dave wanted to prevent that from happening.

"Dave…?"

"I'm kinda busy Linc." Dave replied, avoiding any eye contact with the younger man. Lincoln calmly placed his hand on Dave's massive forearm to coax Dave to look at him.

"Are you sure there's nothing bothering you?"

"Yes, I'm sure OK? Just drop it." Dave said curtly. Lincoln was taken aback and Dave instantly regretted what he just said.

Lincoln stayed silent for a few moments before throwing Dave a curveball.

"How do you feel about my relationship with John?"

"What?" Dave asked surprised nearly dropping his phone.

"I get the feeling you have a problem with it. I mean I already know you have a problem with John so I guess it would make sense that you have an issue with the fact that I'm dating him. I just want to know why, that's all."

"Lincoln I don't have an issue with you and John dating, OK?"

"I don't believe you. I think you do have an issue with it and you just won't tell me."

"What would it matter if I did have an issue with you and John being together? You don't care what I think."

"Of course I do! You're my partner and friend. Hell, you saved my life, more than once I might add. Your opinion matters to me Dave."

"But not in this case. If you had to choose me or John, you'd choose him in a heartbeat." Dave's stomach began to churn.

"Why would I even have to choose Dave? What are you not telling me?"

Dave drew in a deep breath.

"Ask John Linc."

"I'M ASKING YOU! I want YOU to tell me. God you two act like children. Neither of you will tell me what's the deal is with the both of you. All you two say is 'Go ask him.' It's so very annoying to have to hear that constantly!"

Dave sat silent for a few moments. He felt like he was being backed into a corner. He didn't want to fight with Lincoln but his anger towards John was about to take over him.

"Dave?"

"Linc please stop."

"Ugh. Fine. Whatever. I don't care anymore. I can't." Lincoln returned his attention back towards his magazine and ignored Dave. Dave felt hurt.

"How well do you know him Linc?" Dave abruptly and calmly asked. Lincoln closed his magazine and turned to a nervous Dave.

"I know him well enough." He said coldly.

Dave swallowed hard.

Lincoln continued. "I love John. I know that he loves me. That's all that matters in my book."

"Do you trust him?"

Lincoln was slightly taken aback.

"Yes, yes I do. I don't have any reason NOT to trust him. Do I?"

As Dave was about to answer he was interrupted by the Receptionist.

"Dr. Gupta is ready to see you now."

Dave put on a fake smile and got up and walked over to the receptionist to receive directions on where to find the doctor. Dave left a sour taste in Lincoln's mouth when he questioned John's loyalty. He bottled up his feelings for another day and followed Dave upstairs. Dave kept looking at the small piece of paper with the tiny handwritten directions to Dr. Gupta's office as he looked around at the building. He could feel Lincoln's piercing eyes burning through him so he avoided looking back at the shorter man. He felt completely guilty and upset at the conversation he and Lincoln just had. He knew Lincoln was distressed and wanted to talk to him further about his issues with John, but Dave wanted to avoid that conversation at all costs. After a few minutes of walking patiently they finally reached the office of the doctor. Dave swallowed and lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in please." The man behind the door answered promptly. Dave opened the door and they both walked inside.

"Hello there!" Dr. Gupta excitedly greeted the two men as he made his way behind his desk to greet the gentlemen.

"Hello Dr. Gupta. I'm Special Agent Batista and this is..."

"Dr. Lincoln Burrios. Hello sir." Lincoln interrupted intentionally, positing himself in front of Dave to greet the Doctor.

Dave was almost taken aback at what Lincoln just said but soon remembered that Lincoln earned his Doctorate degree at the age of 22.

"Well hello to the both of you, especially you Dr. Burrios. I've heard much about you. Your article in the L.A. Times last year about Microbial Bio-Engineering and the effects it has on current medical procedures was a delightful read. I'm also a huge fan of your father Dr. Walter Bishop's work; truly a fascinating man. I was saddened to hear about his situation.

"Thank you Dr. I appreciate that."

Dave wondered what Dr. Gupta was referring to in regards to Lincoln's father. He knew that Lincoln was adopted by Walter Bishop and his wife when he was only one years old. His mother died when he was a teenager and he didn't like to talk about his father at all. Dave quickly shook himself out of thought and turned his attention to Dr. Gupta.

"Well anyways Dr. the reason we are here is because 2 of your patients, Justin Gabriel and Margie Hunningbern. You were treating them for severe insomnia correct?"

"Well I can't confirm that information, you should know that."

"Yes but you were treating Gabriel right?

"Yes. I remember the circumstances surrounding Justin's death. He murdered a custodian worker 2 years ago right? That was an awful event."

"Yes it was." Lincoln chimed in.

"Anyways that was 2 years ago. However you mentioned the name of a current patient, Margie. What does she have to do with that incident?"

"I never said she had anything to do with it…" Dave answered cautiously.

"Oh I just assumed since you brought up both their names, and one of them is dead…"

"Actually Dr. Gupta, both of them are dead. Margie died earlier this morning."

Dr. Gupta was in shock. He braced himself and walked slowly behind his desk and sat down. He looked disoriented and loss, his eyes darting from side to side rapidly. Dave carefully noted this.

"Dr.?"

"Hmm? Um yes. I'm OK." Dr. Gupta quickly answered, gathering himself.

"Both of your patients died in a particular, unusual manor." Lincoln said.

"Oh really? How so?" The Dr. asked curiously.

"They were both found dead shortly after murdering someone." Dave answered. The Dr. further looked stressed. Dave was quickly becoming suspicious of the slightly panicking man. He looked over to Lincoln to see if he too had his suspicions, but he looked unbothered. He had his attention on his PDA. Dave heard it vibrating in his pocket. Lincoln pulled it out and checked the screen.

"I see…How can I help you two?"

"We'd like to see their medical records of course. Also anything you can tell us about your clinical trials that they were participating in would be nice." Lincoln answered.

"You have to understand that data is private. It pertains to Doctor/Patient confidentiality."

"That confidentiality doesn't apply to dead patients." Dave answered callously. "Besides, we can get a court order—"

"No, no. That's not necessary. I'll have the files transferred over to you. I'll have to go through the hospital board before then."

"I thought this was an independent clinic." Said Lincoln.

"Not anymore. The hospital bought us out. That's why I was in a meeting earlier with them."

"What can you tell us about the RSD-122 chip Dr.?" Lincoln asked.

"That data is confidential. You'll have to get special approval from the board—"

"OK. Got it." Lincoln replied shortly.

"Well have the documents sent over to the FBI's office, will you?" Dave asked.

"Sure thing Agent Batista. I'll be sure to do that."

"Excellent. Thank you for your time Dr." Lincoln walked over to shake his hand. Dr. Gupta forced himself to stand up and return the gesture. Lincoln smiled and walked out the room. Dave stood there staring at the Dr. for a few seconds before following suit.

As soon as the men left the office and closed the door behind them, the doctor exhaled deeply and loosened up his tie.

"Oh dear…" Dr. Gupta whispered under his breath.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Dave and Lincoln exited the building and walked over to their vehicle. After they both got inside, Dave turned to Lincoln.

"So did you get any visions or what?" he asked. Lincoln ignored him, staring outside the window with a stern look on his face. Dave sighed disappointedly and started the vehicle. They drove off the hospital campus and headed back to the dollhouse.

…


	9. Hurtful Feelings

_I can't believe its been over a year since i've updated this story! I'm very much interested in finishing it along with my other stories but just been a bit busy and my creative juices aren't flowing like they use to. I will work on that though. _

* * *

Chapter Eight - Hurtful Feelings

_*Several years ago…*_

Dave sat perfectly still as if trying to imitate a statue. His thoughts were firing away at a million miles per second, fishing for a response to what he'd just been told. Nothing could prepare him for it, nothing at all.

"Dave…?"

He didn't respond. He felt sick to his stomach at the red head's shocking confession tonight of all nights. He'd given himself completely to his man and for what? To be betrayed like this? He'd had enough and wan't going to accept any amount of blame, nor excuses for this.

"What do you want me to say Heath? Seriously! I knew something was going on. I didn't know what but I knew something was happening behind my back. I fucking knew it."

Dave's job at the Bureau often took him away from enjoying his personal life, all the erratic & long hours that came with the commitment took its toll on their relationship. It was a constant struggle to maintain a work-life balance being an FBI Agent, however since finding love in what seemed to be almost an accident, he was trying his best to improve the situation. He used some allocated vacation days he had saved up and decided to surprise the out-of-work actor he was dating on a cruise. Dave didn't particularly enjoy cruises, however Heath loved them and he wanted to make him happy. It was the least he could do to make up for all the cancelled dinners, missed outings and delayed obligations that seemed to have been increasing over the past few months. He and his partner Roger Carrigan were working high-priority cases back-to-back and that wasn't easy.

They enjoyed their dinner at the ship restaurant and sat down in the common area of their suite to just cuddle and relax. After talking for an hour or so the truth seemed to slip out by accident and hit Dave like a ton of bricks. Deep down he suspected something was happening while he was at work. Deep down he knew things had changed within their relationship. He didn't want to accept the possibility that Heath was betraying him so denial was his best option. Now that it's been confirmed, he was livid.

Heath was pacing the room trying to find the best way to sugarcoat the devastating news he'd just delivered to the man he once was madly in love with. He couldn't bare to see Dave upset. He wanted time to figure out the best way to let Dave know how he felt about their deteriorating relationship and the other man Heath was seeing behind Dave's back. He wanted to break it to him gently. After throwing back too many shots earlier in the evening, his inhibitions ceased to exist and his true feelings were revealed. He didn't want things to end this way, on a cruise no less.

"It's not you Dave. I mean…I don't hate you or anything. I just…I—"

"You love him?" Dave asked coldly. He couldn't even look up at Heath. He kept his stare down to the ground, avoiding the urge to pounce forward and verbally assault the Southerner.

"I don't know." Heath replied weakly. Truth be told he didn't know if he was in love with his side-piece or not. Their world-wind affair began 3 months ago. Dave asked Heath to bring an extra pair of slacks to the office because a murder suspect vomited on the ones he had wore to work after a high-speed chase arrest. Heath was hesitant due to the fact that he wasn't sure if Dave was open about his sexuality at work, but given the big man asked him to bring him clothes seemed to ease those thoughts away.

After arriving at the federal building downtown, Heath ran into an old colleague of Dave's. They chatted briefly before parting ways but before they did, this colleague boldly gave Heath his cell number, something that Heath pretended had offended him, however deep down he was curious about this charming fellow. He had a smile that was infectious and dimples that would make a grown man cry.

"Was it wrong to at least talk to this guy?" he wondered.

Dave hadn't spent much time at all with Heath for a while now and quite frankly Heath was getting upset and losing patience. He felt ignored and undervalued by Dave and wanted someone to talk to. He had no friends and all of his family lived out of state. He felt alone and this guy was offering something that Dave couldn't, and wouldn't at the time.

_"I'll just talk with him. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all."_

It started off that way, until it wasn't enough. Talking is never enough.

Dave sighed. He got up from the couch and paced around the small quarters of the ship. He tried his best to keep his calm, but every second that past his patience ran thin. He scratched his head and spoke.

"It's Cena isn't it?"

Heath panicked and began to tremble.

"How—?"

"I see the way he looks at you Heath. It doesn't take too much to tell when John is infatuated with someone. This man would hump a tree if it had a hole drilled in it. My god Heath he's a fucking predator! He'll use you for as long as he can then he's off to the next person. You really risked our relationship for that bastard?!"

"You weren't around!" Heath shouted. He quickly regretted saying that. "There no excuse—"

"You're damn right there's no excuse. If you wanted to be with someone else you should have been upfront about it. If you had any doubts about being with me, you should have told me. Instead you lied and keep this from me. You snuck behind my back and betrayed me with Cena, of all people! I can't even look at you right now."

Dave walked over to the oval-shaped window and peered out. The ship was long away from shore, surrounded by an endless landscape of sea. If Dave wanted to, he could perhaps find different quarters to spend the night in until the ship returns to dock in the morning, however he couldn't be bothered with that. What he really wanted now more than anything is to confront Cena. He wanted to punch him in the face, again and again til he bled out. He was enraged on the inside but managed by sheer will to keep his composure. He didn't want Heath to see him suffering.

"Get out." Dave said calmly, not bothering to even turn around to face Heath.

"Dave please."

"I said LEAVE!"

Heath sighed and began gathering his things. He wasn't sure where he was going to go, but he needed to get out fast before Dave became more angry. He wasn't concerned for his safety, however he wasn't going to push his luck either. After scrambling to get all of his belongings, he opened his mouth to speak but quickly decided against it and left the quarters.

After hearing the door softly shut, Dave picked up the nearest chair and threw it at the door, causing it to make a huge dent on the smooth metal surface.

He sat back down and reached into his pocket. He fished around until he grasped the small velvet box he was after. He pulled it out and opened it. The silver metal band that stared at him in irony was heartbreaking. Tonight was going to be the night he would pledge his all to his lover, that moment now destroyed. He was left to either pick up the pieces or walk away from it all. He closed the box and tossed the ring aside.

"I loved you Heath…why?"


End file.
